Moderator

As fun as a big block of numbers and statistics is, a Pokemon is not really a Pokemon without a design, and that is what this stage is all about. While we continue to toil away choosing abilities and stats and the like, it is up to you guys, the artists, to give our Pokemon the form that they will forever be remembered by.

Remember, all art done here should be based off of Aurumoth. Obviously, as they are not the same Pokemon, there is plenty of room for artistic license with this, but just remember that you want people to be able to believe that it is related.

For reference, have some art:

Of course, there are a few rules when it comes to this whole art thing:

A final art submission consists of two things: a main design and supporting material. A main design is the only required element of a final art submission; supporting material is optional. Note that all material in both the main design and supporting material must be your own. Using another piece of art for inspiration is allowed, but blatant plagiarism will result in warnings or bans depending on the severity.

Main Designs

The main designs are intended to follow the same general posing and layout as the "Official Art" for existing in-game Pokemon. A main design is the definitive design for a given Pokemon and should be suitable for display in the CAP PokeDex section of the CAP Website and any other CAP propaganda where a picture of the Pokemon is needed. The comparison to 'Official Pokemon Art' is only applicable to the basic content of a main design; it does not imply any standards or guidelines regarding artistic style or rendering technique.

The following rules of content must be followed for each main design:

It must consist of a single Pokemon on a plain white background with no parts of the Pokemon cut off by the canvas.

No props, action effects, move effects, or additional objects can be rendered on or around the Pokemon. If a prop is part of the Pokemon's basic design (ie. Conkeldurr's pillars), then it is acceptable.

Any 2D digital or scanned traditional drawing may be used. It must be in full color. 3D media and photos are not allowed.

It must have a distinguishable outline on the entire subject in contrast to the background. No part of the design can be blurred into the background or blended into the background in any way.

The maximum allowed size is 640x640 and the minimum allowed size of 320x320.

It must be in a compressed digital format such as .png or .jpg.

The rules for main designs will be strictly enforced. Do not make comparisons to in-game Pokemon designs or to past CAP designs to determine if your design is in compliance with these rules. Some in-game Pokemon designs and past CAP designs do not conform with the current CAP art submission rules, and emulating those designs is not an acceptable excuse for breaking the strict interpretation of the current rules.

Supporting Material

While the rules for the main design are somewhat rigid, there are almost no rules when it comes to supporting material. Action scenes, movement studies, interaction with other Pokemon, animations, sculptures, and cartoon strips are all allowed. Virtually any supporting material you can think of is allowed, though keep it tasteful. Non-art supporting material is also allowed. This includes detailed descriptions of the art, background data, stories, etc. All supporting art and information must be related to the main design in some way. This rule is intended to prevent artists from posting unrelated art in an effort to gain more attention or promote other designs or artworks.

Final Submission Post

All artists must make a final submission post in order to be considered for the art poll. The post must be titled "Final Submission". The post should have the Main Designs at the top, and supporting material (if applicable) below it. All supporting art must be included as links or as linked thumbnails no larger than 150x150. Do not include full images of supporting art in the final submission. Only make one (1) final submission post. Artists are welcome to work on multiple designs and get feedback from the community, but only one design for each stage can be submitted for final consideration. If you wish to alter any aspect of your final submission, then edit your post. Do not make a new one, even if you delete your original post. Any deleting and reposting will be treated as bumping and is subject to moderation.

General Posting Rules

Artists can post any work-in-progress (WIP) artwork in order to solicit feedback or to help develop ideas. WIP artwork does not need to conform to the standards of a Main Design. It can be in any medium or stage of completion, but it must be related to an original art design by the poster.

Do not spam the thread with excessive amounts of artwork over a short period of time. Apparently, some artists think they will improve their chances in the poll if they overload the submission thread with their artwork. Doing so will result in your posts being moderated.

Do not post inconsequential "updates" to previously posted art. Only if you have made a significant change and have not posted art recently can you post an update in the thread.

No post can contain more than 800x800 pixels of included art, and no single picture can be larger than 640x640. Past those limits, artists should post links to the additional art or use linking thumbnails. Each thumbnail can be no larger than 150x150. Any number of thumbnails can be included in a post, even if it passes the limit. All art must be in a compressed digital format.

Do not post to state your intended design. Such posts are a weak attempt to "reserve" an idea, and serve no constructive purpose.

Do not post images to serve as inspiration for artists or attempt to commission an artist in the thread to do your idea. This isn't an idea thread. It's fine for artists to post their own inspiration as supporting material.

No bumping or begging, especially for feedback. If your design is any good, people will comment on it. If your design gets no feedback, then your design is not very good. Consider the silence to be your feedback.

Do not declare any artwork as "the winner" or say that anything "is clearly going to win". It's fine to post praise or support for an artwork, but don't make a statement indicating the results of a poll that has not been conducted. Such posts are insulting to all the other competing artists.

Do not post that a design does or does not "look like a Pokemon/Digimon". Such comments are unable to be substantiated or refuted. There is no artistic style guide for Pokemon, so don't act like you know what a Pokemon should look like. If you like or dislike a design, that's fine, just say that.

Do not ask when this thread will close. CAP threads do not follow a set timetable. If you want to know the overall sequence of events in a CAP then go to the CAP website and read the process guide.

Do not post questions asking for help in making art. This isn't a tutorial thread.

Art Polls

All art polls will contain the main design and, if applicable, a link below it titled "Supporting Material". This will link to the artists final submission post. If the final submission contains no significant supporting material, then no link will be included in the poll below the main design. Art submissions for the art poll will be selected in a manner to be determined by the topic leader. There is no process for overturning the topic leader's decision. If you are not comfortable with this stipulation, then do not make an art submission. Do not post any complaints here or in later threads.

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In addition to the above, I want to state one more requirement specific to this prevo project. Due to the fact that there are two stages we have to work with, and the complications that could arise from doing art separately for them, I am going to require that artists submit designs for both pre-evolution stages. I have talked with multiple artists about this already, and it was pretty much unanimous that, while it might not be ideal to require multiple pieces of art from any one person to submit, overall it will be the best way to handle things, as without it there will likely be great disconnect between the designs of the different stages.

If you have any concerns about the above rule, please don't hesitate to contact me about it. It is definitely subject to change if I receive enough responses asking me to do so. You guys probably know a lot more about this stuff that I do, so whether I decide to keep this or not will depend mostly on what I hear about it from you.

This thread will be open for a while, and when it closes will depend on how fast the rest of the process goes, so I am not going to give even a hint of an exact date, but, as always with art, I will post at least a 24 hour warning before I close the thread.

So lets get to it. I can't wait to see what you guys will come up with.

EDIT: It was brought up to me that it was unclear based on the rules how one would go about submitting designs for both since the specific rules of CAP art were made with only a single Pokemon in mind. Since the way this is being run requires each artist to submit two designs, I want to make it clear that each stage is allowed its own main design, and any rules regarding a main design are for each stage individually, not them together, and I have made a few changes above to reflect that (you know, making words plural and the like). For example, each of the stages should have a main design of 320x320 to 640x640. While I know one of the rules of art threads states that you can only have 800x800 pixels of art in a post, due to the nature of this specific thread, I am going to say that for final submissions, it does not matter if your main designs combined go over this, as long as they are otherwise within the rules. I'm am neither a mod nor an art person, so I have no idea how strictly prevo art threads are moderated, and if a mod wants to make a different ruling on this, than I will go with whatever is decided, but just looking at it, I believe that doing it this way is most logical.

Something I whipped up for Aurumoth's pre-evos. I have a lot I want to say about my ideas behind them; I especially wonder if they look too derivative or if they look just right in terms of similarity, simplicity, and variance to Aurumoth.

The first stage is larval, and I had multiple times where I kept thinking it looked too close to Larvesta (the fur and six extensions, which the former only remained in). Aurumoth does not have limbs, and even if the pre-evolution were to have metallic shells of sort, I don't know if I could imagine a land-based larva to float on six nubs. I figure two vestigial legs would allow the pre-evolution to make it through that evolutionary phase without it being too different from its evolutions--there's precedent in pokemon losing limbs in evolution. This evolution has two copper (or bronze, depending on if you like money or medals as the metallic theme) lobes at the side which become the extended limbs of its evolution, and the ring at its thorax which covers the abdomen.

The evolution is the cocoon stage. I thought that the first design was quite derivative, but the second one reminds me of Aurumoth, just enclosed. D: I would like to change it/simplify it, hence the shortened horns and blue stripes only on the abdomen. But anywhoo, the design: The ring that the pre-evolution had became armor of sort, with the two lobes becoming floating extensions. The two limbs currently are symmetrical, but I have thought about having a sword/shield combination, if only to perpetuate that similarity to knights and warlords.

A small comment I couldn't fit into the previous two paragraphs is the marking on their head; the basic stage's one is just a shape (a third eye, if you want to think of it that way), and the evolution's is slightly opened. That leads to Aurumoth's markings crossing the eyes and such.

Moderator

Quanyails, I think you are very much on the right track here. Interestingly, I prefer the middle evolution design. I think there certainly may be tinkering to be done, but the overall concept feels very organic, and I love your pose. The first one is just a little awkward. The vestigial legs are very spindly and don't really fit very well, to my eyes, with the overall blobbiness of the first stage design. Honestly, I think it'd be improved with no limbs, vestigial or otherwise. Alternatively, you could go the caterpillar direction of prolegs, though I understand your worries about that. Also, it wouldn't have to be 6. Caterpie has 4 and it's so *squee* cuuuuute!

Here's my ideas I'm working on so far. Fluffy caterpillars are the best thing. THe green on copper caterpillar is for the color copper turns as it oxidizes (and also for pistachio icecream, pistachio shell wings y'know). Not sure whether to have the face covered in fur or not, though. I'm not super happy with my design for the second stage, though. Any ideas/what do you guys think?

Little Cup Co-Leader

I'm sorry Quanyails, I'm not a massive fan of your first stage. The two front legs look rather spindly and it looks like it has a kind of sluggish body that it's supposed to pull around with the two small legs.
You're second however I find great- I love how it's based upon a cacoon, but it looks mobile due to the psychic-floating thing, unlike the rest of the pokemon cacoons. For me, I'd rather see the horns looking more similar to Aurumoths, but idk if that's just me.
Sorry if I was harsh on your first evolution! I just think it needs some editing to make it better, it's hardly a bad start.

As for Kadew, your first evolution is adorable. However I'm not sure if the colour should be brighter (shinier?) just to give it more of a metallic feel? I quite like the second one as well, it's pretty cute. However it looks too blue to me. If that's what you wanted fair enough but I presumed you'd gone for the bronze-silver-gold thing? Finally I love how the horns slowly evolve, that's a nice touch. The only thing that bugs me is that it learns megahorn as an egg move and idk if the first stage looks like it could use megahorn?

Current WIP. How is it? Anything I should change or edit? The idea's basically to go from a cute, harmless larva to a volatile wasp to the relatively calm Aurumoth, trying to maintain some differences within the line without completely alienating the natural look of it. I'm definitely open for criticism or different ideas- Aurumoth's line is a hard one to design for. (Preferably, though, I don't want to go with a cocoon for the second 'mon! That field will certainly be well-covered.)

Prevos not to scale, of course.

Commentary:

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Quanyails, I absolutely adore the idea of your middle stage, but it looks very Bug/Steel and not so much Psychic- former a problem moreso than the latter. It's still awesome though and I really don't want to see the idea completely altered. I agree with what's been said for the first prevo.
As for Kadew, your first is nothing short of adorable. I trust your judgment on floofiness edits, but you don't necessarily have to change a thing. :3 Your second looks a bit scrunched, maybe tweak with the head so it doesn't sink into the fur quite as much- not sure.

I don't have the graphic artist skills to do much, but I very much have a mental vision. Personally, in addition to the metals, we have a very obvious progression when it comes to the wings. a 2-4-6 pattern is screaming to be used here.

Also, I think the artists should be able to branch out with the color palletes and designs. Pseudos like Dratini and Pupatar don't always follow a strictly natural progression. (though a Bug line already has a larve/Pupa feel to it, it would also be nice to see experimentation with different options)

If there is one element that I think should be the head. For some reason the psychic type keeping the same brain or something just appeals to me.

Quanyails, nice work, it does indeed look on the right track. And is it just me, or do I sence a bit of inspiration from Tremors?

I don't have any artistic ability but Kadew that is amazing! It follows that sort of bug evolution stage but also uniquely Aurumoth-esque. As a side note this is how I would totally do Aurumoth pre-evo's if I could draw...

Oh good, I've been waiting for this part :D I've had these prevos sitting around for a while, so I guess it's my chance to throw them in, eh?

I tried to follow the standard larva-pupa-imago route while still trying to adhere to the copper-silver-gold scheme people have wanted. It may not have been completely obvious before, but Aurumoth's wings are actually its chrysalis it controls. I tried to show that with the second stage by making it the same color as the armour, while still giving off a silver touch.

Revamp! I'm glad that the feedback I got helped determine what I should change with my first-stage design. I made the caterpillar, well, more caterpillar-like with legs and prolegs and a different body shape. The bronze/copper ring was removed, since I found that that was hard to design around. Instead, the metal migrated to the limbs.

As for the middle stage: I edited the antennae so that top part pointed out, but that's not a big enough update for that.

Comments:

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Kadew: Oh, your first stage design is adorable! I feel like I've subconsciously thought of such a design... or maybe it's just envy. :P Try out the fur-faced design, but the current one looks fine! Either way, thanks for helping my thought process on IRC because of that caterpillar. The second stage design does feel rather lacking, I agree. A little variance to the shells, antennae, can make it more pokemon-esque, instead of it completely logical in growth. :P I just had an idea--use it if you'd like. How about a cradle of sort with the shells?

Corkscrew: Hey, reception is nice, and you put it in the right way for me to take it in.

CBMeadow: You get points for uniqueness from the caterpillar-pupa-moth sequence. The stage can resemble stages of life, what with a naive child, active adult, and relaxed elder. I have thought about adding markings to my second stage design, though I'm unsure where and how to not make it resemble a recolored Aurumoth. :P

jynx KB: Hmm, nope. Just my imagination at work.

KoA: Points for uniqueness, though from a design perspective rather than a concept one. I'm not really sure what to say about your designs, since, ah, I personally don't like them. :/ The caterpillar slinks oddly upward, and I'm confused about the fangs(?) on its head and the legs(?) in the fur. Other than that, I can see the progression well from first stage through final stage. Poor eyes. D: Hmm, under your designs, though, the second stage may imply Bug/Ghost.

I think the first one came out good for a first draft. Same with the second, except for that it looks like a hell-spawned creature... lol. Other than that though, please give me opinions, I'm new to this stuff.

Edit: Me and my ADHD just noticed I forgot the head sign thingy... >.>

Eol, I'm a guy. A guy who likes girls. Your first form is so incredibly adorable thhat I think the only thing to describe it is SQUEE! worthy. I honestly can't think of anything else as a first form now. Don't change a darn thing. (except maybe opening the eyes, and if that's the case, close the mouth.)

So, update to the designs/supporting art. With the flufferpillar, basically the same except some experimentation with the antennae, though I think I like them better without the colored tips. Silver second stage, though, has gone through some revision to try making it less squashed and immobile, and more silvery. All of 'em sitting in a lineup of what I envision the heights to be compared to a human, and to show the evolutionary line as a whole to see how it 'flows.'

Quite a few stylistic progressions here. Aside from the copper to silver to gold, there are the eyes progressing red to orange to yellow, the stripes from green to blue to purple, the whole color scheme of the body and fur becoming a bit cooler and lighter across the chain. Numbers go up, two shells to four shells to six shells, with the shell/wings themselves going no stripes to one stripe to two stripes, antennae progressively more pronged.

Those are just a bunch of silly patterns I threw in, really. For actual concept behind each design, the idea is that the first in some innocent little cherubic sort. Fat and fluffy and cute and innocent, meek little child. The second evolution, though, is a more hardened angelic knight, a part of the armies of heaven, maybe even a crusader. The floating shells are specialized, one narrower to be a sword or lance of some sort, the other a broad shield. Then it will eventually progress to the golden seraphbug we all know, which I colored rather sloppily since it isn't the focus here. The whole thing also seem to pass through some sort of spiritual journey of character, from innocence to jaded to transcendance.

Or maybe I just drew a bunch of fluffy bugs with colorful stripes and pistachio shells.

Kadew: I'm sold on your flavour lore, particularly with the Cocoon Crusader NFE. A mite suggestion, if I may - for cuteness, maybe you could fluff up the neck more (sorta like a poodle or a lion after a saloon trip? lol)
Quan: Cute caterpillar! Yet I can't help but wonder: how would it look if its legs are more, say, spindly? Sorta like Spinarak's legs, if you will?

Kadew, your prevos really look amazing up to now! The others have pretty much taken the words away from me, but may I suggest a gender difference on the cocoon phase? If you're going to keep the sword/shield thing, then how about switching the sword and shield around for male and female?
Other than that, I really like how the stripes on the three gradually change color, from green to blue to purple as the Pokémon matures.

I've got my NFE!
After developing moderate levitation abilities from evolution, it uses its four scale/wing/chrysalis thingies as legs to move, as its legs are now vestigial. It has also been upgraded from bronze/copper and green to silver and blue.
Comments are appreciated, and for my LC, too!

It must consist of a single Pokemon on a plain white background with no parts of the Pokemon cut off by the canvas.

Click to expand...

It looks good except you can't have a background in your final submission. I like the ideas behind them, though you might need to tweak your LC just so it will be more distinct from Kadew's- it's distinct enough to work, but still! It also might be a good idea to splice the evolutionary line together for a comparison between- make sure it flows right and such.
Umbreons: As already said, your newer ones are pretty similar to Aurumoth. I think the idea could be pulled off, though- experiment about a bit and, if possible, maintain their adorability. :3
Kadew, nothing much to say of yours except I second floofing the second's neck. Great designs and great execution!

As for my design-

The first prevo sheds so much fur and particles and whatever else that it can have Shield Dust as an ability. The same general principle was applied to prevo 2, but it's more Shed Fur than Shed Skin- I really don't want to do a cocoon. D:

Umbreons and CBMeadow: Kudos on the non-metamorphosis line! Aurumoth is not necessarily just a bug - perhaps you two have pioneered a new direction in the face of it's more celestial lineage? Anyway for CBMeadow - the tips of the NFEs looks kinda like Beedrill's sting - maybe rounding them out?

I really need to get on and make some final submissions for these guys. This sketch may become the final for the middle evolution, but I think the perspective might be a bit dramatic for the basic official art to show the full design. Even if it doesn't, it's a nice little supporting art

Speaking of supporting art, I did a bunch of stupid sketches of my prevo submissions.